Partners in Everything
by skygirl55
Summary: Season 3 AU. Post-"Countdown" - What if Castle had been able to say the things he'd always wanted to?
1. Prologue

_A/N: I think I've started 3 different versions of a Post-"Countdown" fic and I finally found a version that works! This goes AU kinda during/after Countdown. There will be eight chapters after this Prologue. Enjoy!_

* * *

**Prologue**

_I wish that I had someone who would be there for me and I could be there for him and we could just dive into it together_

There it was—the opportunity—just slapping him in the face. _Do it, Castle_, he coached himself, _just do it—say it! Tell her everything_. His heart sped and the beads of sweat formed on his temples. He immediately felt like he'd just spat out a mouthful of salt. How was it possible that he could write the most eloquent things on paper, but when it came to the moments where saying things really mattered, he always seemed to fall short?

"What if," he began. She glanced back up at him. "What if you already have that person?"

Kate blinked at him. _Oh no_, she thought instantly. What was he saying? She hadn't meant to open the door to this. Her conflictions over Josh's latest trip had been swirling around in her mind so much that when he asked her about him they all just spilled out. He was, after all, her friend and in that moment she needed a friend to confess to. Now, it seemed, he was taking that to a whole new level.

Her eyes widened and her body seized in fear as he slid to the edge of the bench on which he sat and placed a hand on top of hers.

"Kate, I know…I know things are complicated, but…but isn't it possible the thing you're looking for—the partner you're seeking—could be the one that's already beside you, standing in your corner ready to jump or dive or fight or anything! Anything at all as long as-"

"Good news, Detective."

Castle cursed under his breath as his romantic speech was interrupted by the commanding officer of the HAZ-MAT team. Kate stood from her bench as quickly as she could and their moment was gone—lost, quite possibly, forever. Yet, he had said it. What "it" was, he wasn't certain, but he had said something, which was better than his previous track record. Now, the waiting game was on. Would she react to his words or simply bury them deep like she seemed to do with every other significant event they faced together? Castle wasn't sure, but as he followed her back out onto the street, her eyes desperately avoiding his, he feared it would be the latter.


	2. Chapter 1

**ONE**

If Kate Beckett had to pick a favorite thing about her sometimes crazy and inconvenient working schedule, it would undoubtedly be the joy of weekdays off. There was just something so forbidden about it. That Thursday morning as all the other New Yorkers dragged themselves from their warm beds and began their daily commute, Kate remained snuggled in her blankets.

When she did force herself from bed, she pulled on her favorite robe, poured a heaping bowl of cereal and sat with her feet tucked under her on her couch while watching the morning news programs. In just a few hours, her favorite daytime soap would be on, and she would be instantly transported back to the sick days of her youth, when she was home with her mother and they would watch together. For Kate, watching the show alone was a bittersweet event. Yes, it brought back those memories of them snuggled together on her couch, but it also served as another reminder that she would never be able to make more memories with the parent she lost.

At noon, still in her pajamas, Kate contemplated how to spend the rest of her bonus day off. In theory, she should have been at the precinct with Ryan and Esposito collaring another perp or (more likely) slaving away over that day's stack of paperwork, but she wasn't and she had Castle to thank for it. When he remarkably defused that bomb the week before, he'd earned them both commendations and Kate an extra day off, which was merely icing on the cake of saving the city.

Before she thought too much about the remainder of her day, she was interrupted by a knock at her door. Curious, she padded to the front of her apartment and glanced out to see a bike courier holding a thin envelope. Even more intrigued, she opened the door and signed for the package addressed to her.

Standing in the middle of her kitchen, Kate held the envelope with the same delicacy she would have applied to a ticking bomb. The manila envelope was the size of a standard sheet of paper and had her address printed neatly on the front with no other information. Dozens of potential contents floated through her mind in the milliseconds it took for her to flip the envelope over and pop open the flap.

Inside, she found a plain white sheet of paper tri-folded. Unfolding it, her breath caught in her chest. She recognized the handwriting immediately. How many times had she seen his scribbled notes on scrap paper, the murder board, or—irritatingly—on the corners of her official police documents? But why in the world had he sent her a letter by courier? And, why did it begin with _My Dearest Kate_?

Swallowing hard, she began to read.

_My Dearest Kate,_

_I know you're scared. I am too. That's what makes this so great, wonderful, and terrifying._

_Observing you for three years has taught me so many things about you. You're as smart as you are sexy. As tenacious as you are gorgeous. And as kind as you are brave. Knowing all this about you, leads me to believe that deep down you know the kind of man you deserve._

_You deserve to be with someone who will answer your call and drop everything to be by your side because he can't go one more second without hearing your voice, seeing your face. Someone who will bring you coffee in the morning or breakfast in bed and treat you like you're the greatest thing that ever happened to him, because you are. Someone who will be with you until the very end, by your side every second; be your partner—in everything._

_I can be that man, Kate. In some ways, I already am, but I will dedicate my life to being that man in all the others._

_Yours for always,_

_Rick_

Kate read the letter through twice, her hands trembling so much that the paper began to rattle. Startling herself with the noise, Kate placed the paper down on her kitchen counter and backed away from it.

Five minutes of heavy breathing later, she could hardly process the words. What was he doing? What was he saying? He was out of his mind!

What they had was fine, wasn't it? A partnership. A _professional_ partnership. Why did it have to be anything more?

_Because_, she mentally answered her own question, _you want it to be_.

The turmoil had begun in her gut almost a year prior. The curiosity; the intrigue.

Was it possible? Could it be possible? Could their partnership really be _more_? Professionally, they worked (though, in all honesty, on most days calling Castle professional stretched the word to the absolute limits of its definition), but professional and personal didn't always mix. At the beginning of the prior summer, he'd proved her right by strolling off hand-in-hand with his ex-wife as she was left alone and heartbroken.

Was her subsequent anger with him a bit unfounded? Yes. He believed she was with another man, so it was unfair for her to punish him for being with another woman when, in his eyes, she was unavailable. Still, it reinforced her fear: Richard Castle could—and would—break her heart.

In the prior seven months they'd rebuilt their partnership and, in many ways, she knew it was stronger than it ever had been, but it was also different. Their underlying tension had always been there, but lately it had been a passion burning bright, refusing to go away—particularly when she closed her eyes at night.

Just as she had said to him the week before, in all her romantic relationships she always kept one foot out the door. One foot ready to run at even the hint of a sign that the walls might be crumbling. If she could flee quickly enough, she wouldn't be damaged by any falling debris. If someone asked her if she trusted Josh, she would have responded that yes, she did, but that would have been a lie. Deep down, she didn't trust him; she believed he could hurt her like everyone else she'd ever been with.

If someone asked Kate if she trusted Castle, her answer also would have been an immediate yes. In that truth, there was less lie. In the field, she trusted him implicitly. With her mother's case, she trusted him completely. So why, she asked herself, couldn't she trust him with her heart?


	3. Chapter 2

**TWO**

Richard Castle didn't sleep on Thursday night. He lay awake, rolling his body from side to side and settling on his back to stare wide-eyed at the ceiling. He cursed himself for writing and sending the letter, but was proud that he had taken the chance.

After placing the letter in the courier's hands, he almost called the courier company a dozen times to cancel the delivery. He fidgeted at his desk, paced the floors of his apartment and, in the end, sat on his hands to prevent himself from calling. When he received a text message confirmation that the package had been delivered, his stomach flipped in his gut. That was it; the point of no return.

When the clock on his nightstand flipped to 3 a.m. Castle came to the sinking realization that it was entirely possible he would never be able to shadow Kate Beckett again. The letter could, quite possibly, be the final straw. She had been tolerant of his presence knowing that he was just a giant kid playing cops and robbers, but knowing how he truly felt would be too much for her.

Then again, he rationalized as the clock flipped to 3:27, if they had completely ignored the fact that they had actually kissed a few weeks earlier, her ignoring the letter seemed a likely possibility.

When Castle dragged himself out of bed that Friday, he decided he could not stay in his apartment. The walls were suffocating him and everything in his Nikki-Heat-laden office reminded him of Kate. He spent the day wandering the city, exploring shops, buying himself a new watch and trying a new gourmet pizza joint. Returning that evening, he realized he had not pushed any thoughts of Kate from his mind permanently, merely temporarily brushed them under the proverbial rug.

Castle stood in his closet, adding the new timepiece to his ever-growing collection when the doorbell to his apartment rang. He walked confidently to the door, assuming the guest to be someone for Alexis, only to be shocked to find his perfect partner in crime waiting for him. She wore a white blouse tucked in to black dress pants, which was her unofficial work uniform. With her hair rolled into a taunt bun at the base of her neck, he knew she'd come directly from the precinct.

"Kate, hi. Come in. Please," he added, stepping back from the door and letting her inside. When he shut the door, he looked to her and noticed she was chewing her bottom lip in earnest. For a minute, they stared at each other in silence. Merely as a way to diffuse the tension he said, "So…"

Without a single word, Kate stepped forward placed a hand on each of his cheeks and pulled his lips to hers.

For a millisecond, Castle remained frozen. His brain was struggling to catch up with the situation. Kate was kissing him. Kate was kissing him? She was kissing him! His arms locked around her back and he drew her in close, molding his body into hers.

When, after several moments, she pulled back and looked up at him, he said, "I guess you got my letter."

All the tension on her face broke into a beautiful smile—a glorious simile—and she let out a happy chortle of laughter before kissing him again. That time, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling their hips together and devouring his lips with hers.

When Kate let out a moan when their tongues first brushed together, Castle could contain the feelings broiling inside him no longer. He skimmed his arms down her side, across her hips and to the upper part of her thighs. In one smooth motion, he lifted and separated her legs. Fortunately, she followed his lead and locked her ankles behind his back.

A minute later, still joined at the lips, Castle had carried her into his bedroom and she landed with a soft squeak on his mattress. She continued to kiss him for another few moments before she fully came to realize where they were and what was about to happen.

"Castle wait," she said, breathless as she pulled back from him. She regained enough of her senses to push herself up with her hands on the mattress and slide a few inches away from him. "Wait, I'm sorry but—but I just broke up with Josh yesterday. I'm not…" she paused as her eyes darted around his bedroom. "I'm not ready for this yet."

"Oh-I-I'm sorry," he stammered. Standing upright beside the bed, he shook his head and cursed himself for not thinking with the brain in his head, but instead with the one several feet south of it. "It's my fault—I shouldn't have assumed-"

"It's fine," she told him. "Truth is part of me wants to be right here with you." She patted the center of the bed and they shared a smile. "But I do need time."

"Of course, Kate. Any amount of time you need," he promised. She smiled softly as her eyes drifted towards the pillows on the bed and then back to him. "What?" he asked, seeing curiosity on her face.

"It's silly," she confessed, mentally kicking herself for even thinking of the idea, "but I was wondering if maybe we could cuddle for a little while?"

He grinned. "You say that as though it's not something I'm already dying to do."

She smiled to herself and glanced down at her lap for a moment. In that time, he knelt down on the mattress, slid a strong arm around her waist, and hauled her up towards the head of the bed. Momentarily surprised by his strength, it took her a second to settle, but when she did, she'd become the perfect "little spoon" to his big.

He pressed his lips against her shoulder before saying softly, "So you read the letter…"

She turned her head so she could see him out of the corner of her eyes. "Yes. What made you write that? I mean, what made you write it down rather than telling me those things in person?"

"Well, Kate, I don't know if you know this about yourself, but you're kind of stubborn."

Her jaw dropping, she elbowed him lightly in the ribs.

"Oww," he whined. "I'm serious. When someone is telling you something you're too afraid to hear, you just shut down and stop listening. I figured with the letter I might have a chance of you really hearing me. Plus, you know, the writer in me just can't help myself when it comes to grand romantic gestures."

She did not respond to him verbally, but she did pull his arm a little tighter around her waist.

"What made you come here tonight?" he asked.

"Because I thought," she responded as she traced lazy circles on the back of his hand, "if I trust you with my life when we're in the field together, it doesn't make sense for me to not trust you with my heart."

Castle shut his eyes as he felt his chest contract. How long had he been waiting to hear that from her? Longer than he had even realized himself until he heard them. "Kate…"

She rolled over onto her back so she could look at him directly. "I was serious about what I said, Castle. I do keep one foot out the door in relationships, but I don't want to. I…I'm going to need some time-"

"And you can have it," he assured her.

"-but I want you to know that I want this—us."

Castle pressed his lips to hers twice in a row. "Me too."


	4. Chapter 3

**THREE**

As Kate Beckett slid into the back of the black town car that evening and sat beside her world famous writer companion, she could not help but feel the slightest bit deflated. This, she decided, was her exact fear come to life. Her gut told her this could happen, but she just didn't listen.

"Wait until you see what's next," he told her with an obnoxious grin.

She plastered a half smile on her face and looked over to him. "Oh…we're not going home?"

"Of course not! The night is young!" He informed her before telling the driver they were ready to go to their next destination.

Kate sighed, pulled her sweater tighter around her shoulders, and rested her elbow against the door of the car, using it to prop up her head. The night had begun with so much promise—too much, perhaps.

Before she'd left Castle's apartment the night before they'd agreed that Saturday night would be their first official date. Castle insisted that he couldn't wait another second and Kate agreed. Despite having broken up with Josh barely twenty-four hours earlier, she was ready to begin the dating stages with Castle.

Truth be told, her heart hadn't been in her relationship with Josh for quite some time. Due to their equally busy schedules, they did not even see each other all that often. Plus, she wasn't embarking on a new relationship with a random stranger. Her background with Castle could fill a book and quite literally had—two, in fact.

Saturday night Kate curled her hair and pinned it at the back of her head. She felt butterflies swirling around in her stomach as she painted on her eyeliner and lipstick. She'd changed her mind on what she was wearing half a dozen times before settling on a navy blue dress that came just above her knee and a cream-colored cardigan over top since the dress was sleeveless and they were still in the early stages of spring.

Before leaving her house that night she checked her lipstick in the mirror by her front door and noticed for the first time just how large of a grin she was wearing. Going on dates did not always excite her—first dates, in particular. With those, there was more generally uncertainty and awkwardness than excitement, but not this time; not with this guy. She already knew what she was in for—or so she thought.

Castle picked her up promptly at seven for their reservation at an elite New York eatery. It was the kind of place where it was absolutely impossible to get a table on one month's notice let alone one day's. Unless, of course you were Richard Castle…and you used your connections with the mayor to get a table. Naturally, the beginning portion of their evening was spent with Kate teasing him for not being celebrity enough to snag their exclusive (albeit cramped) seat.

For Kate, the excitement of the evening began to fade away the moment she looked at the menu. For the most part she considered herself someone who had an open enough mind to be a decently adventurous eater. However, in practice, being an adventurous eater seemed better in theory. As she skimmed down the list of entrée choices, it seemed each of them had something that made her crinkle her nose in displeasure. Suddenly, she was craving a greasy burger from Remy's more than ever before.

As Castle waxed on about wine parings and the elegant atmosphere, Kate continually reminded herself that her partner was not always this much of an obnoxious egomaniac and could be sweet and kind and make her laugh more than anyone else. Just as she was scraping off the bizarre tasting sauce from the top of her fish, Kate was startled by a violinist approaching the table and serenading them both to a tune. She smiled politely while Castle grinned like a fool and kept nodding encouragingly in her direction.

After paying for their exorbitantly expensive meal with his AmEx Black card, they made their way to the waiting black town car, which was presently taking them to midtown where presumably more of their date awaited them.

"Excellent—we're here!" Castle announced when they pulled up in front of a nondescript row of office buildings, most of which were entirely abandoned at that hour on a Saturday night. He exited the vehicle, walked around to her side and opened the door for her.

"And where," she asked as she stepped out of the car, "exactly is here?"

"Just wait—just wait!" he said, pulling his iPhone from his pocket and double checking the time. "Wait…one minute and fourteen seconds."

"Okay?" she responded with confusion. She watched as Castle counted down the remaining time on his phone and then, with a gleeful expression, pointed down the street.

Still perplexed, Kate followed his gesture and saw a previously dark building begin to light up. One by one, lights appeared in windows and, when they were all illuminated, they displayed two words, one atop the other: Rick and Kate.

When Kate turned back to him, Rick's joyous expression turned to a crestfallen one. "What's wrong?"

Kate sighed and lowered her chin. "Castle…we need to talk."

He felt his face flush at the dreaded phrase. Quickly, he reviewed everything in his mind. Fancy meal—check. Great wine—check. Romantic music—check. Romantic gesture—double check! Everything had gone exactly as he planned. "What is it?"

"Can we talk in the car?" she requested. He nodded, opened the car door for her, and then joined her inside. Once he was seated, she continued. "It's just…this was a very Richard Castle date and I don't want to date him. I want to go out with Rick."

Castle blinked at her, looked down at his lap and then back up at her. "I don't understand."

Kate reached out and put her hand on his. "Castle, I am not an actress or a singer or a celebutante-slash-model or whoever else you've dated. I don't need wined, dined and impressed. I just want to spend time with you—you, just you. Not celebrity you."

"But…it was our first date. I wanted it to be great!"

Kate let out a half annoyed breath. "Castle, think—really think. You know me. Am I really the type of girl who wants to see her name on the side of a building?"

He considered this. Meredith would have _loved_ her name on the building. Gina certainly would have been amused. So would many of the others he dated but Kate… "Oh," he concluded sadly.

"Yeah."

Castle grabbed her hand and brought it up to his lips. He kissed her knuckles twice before looking at her. "Kate, I'm sorry. I just wanted to make this night unforgettable."

"I know, but-"

"But you would have been happier if we had dinner at my apartment and I spelled your name out with M&Ms?"

She chuckled, wondering why spelling her name had to be involved at all, but then informed him, "Yes, that would have been much better."

"So, the question remains—will you give me a chance to make it up to you?"

Kate faked deep thought for a moment merely to tease, but then smiled. "I'd say that's a distinct possibility."

Castle leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "Excellent."


	5. Chapter 4

_A/N: I'm sorry that so many of you did not like the last chapter. Like I said when I originally posted it there are a total of eight parts to this story, so this chapter is the halfway point._

* * *

**FOUR**

"Woah Kate," Ryan commented as he approached her desk. "Whatcha got there?"

"Um, flowers?" she offered in an innocent way. Of course, since they were from her boyfriend, they were not _just _flowers. No, for their first week anniversary he sent her a dozen roses. Now, on the morning of their second week anniversary, he had sent her two dozen.

Thankfully, her coworkers at the precinct had completely ignored the first dozen. They came when they were heavily entrenched in a case and it wasn't as though she'd never received flowers before. However, Kate suspected it would be a bit more difficult for them to ignore the more elaborate display and it turned out she was correct.

"Those are, uh, two dozen long-stem roses, correct?" Ryan asked.

"Dude, you know way too much about flowers," Esposito commented as he walked up behind his partner. "Who sent you the bush?" he asked Kate.

"Nobody," she responded, turning back to her computer screen. She and Castle agreed that, at least for the beginning stages of their relationship, they would keep it to themselves so as not to face scrutiny or mockery from the other half of their foursome.

"Right because 'nobody' drops over a hundred bucks to send you flowers."

Kate smiled. "Exactly."

"Ah, Detective Beckett, what a lovely bunch of flowers." Castle's bold tone overtook the room as when he strolled in, jacket draped over his arm. Kate glanced up at him, ignored he was pointing out his own gift. Naturally, he ignored her. "Did you just get those?"

"They were delivered this morning," Ryan said.

"Oooo," Castle cooed. "Does Kate have a new boyfriend?" She shot him a strong enough glance for him to straighten his smile and immediately look away from her.

"Who knows, but some schmuck spent over a hundred bucks on her," Esposito said flippantly.

"Hey!" Kate turned her glare on Esposito. "Don't you have paperwork?"

"Actually, you have a case," the captain said as he interrupted their conversation. "Nice flowers."

"Thanks."

"There's a murder downtown with your name on it," Montgomery said. "Be advised—it's a teenage girl."

Five days later, Kate and her team were entrenched in what Castle viewed as one of their most repugnant murders to date. A sixteen year old girl had been beaten, strangled, raped and then her corpse mutilated. For the first time during his shadowing, Castle had to walk away from the crime scene, for the redheaded girl reminded him a bit too much of his own.

Without any cameras or witnesses to the crime, the case was not an easy one from any angle. During their second round of interviews with the residence of the girl's apartment building, Castle noticed a creepy figure staring at them from the end of the hall below where her family lived. He pointed the man out to Kate, but when she went to question him, he refused. As they had no warrant, they could not arrest him or question him further, but they both got the same disturbing vibe off him.

As their case progressed, Castle tried to see the story in what would cause the young man, who Castle estimated to be in his early twenties, to want to kill the teen girl in such a brutal way. Nothing seemed to fit. It wasn't until they had the girl's mother take them through her day to day life once again that Castle realized the bench behind the building where the victim sat to do her homework was directly beneath the main window in the creepy man's apartment. From that, Castle built his story of unrequited love gone too far, but it was not enough to get a warrant.

After days of searching, the tech team was finally able to trace deleted Facebook messages from the neighbor to the victim, which was enough for a warrant. Inside his apartment they found a disturbing shrine to the girl, which led to his arrest and subsequent interrogation.

Castle stayed back, leaning against the wall as Kate sat at the table trying to crack her suspect from every angle, but unfortunately for her sociopaths didn't crack. He did not respond to her, merely stared at her like she was a juicy steak dinner and he hadn't eaten in days. Castle could tell she was growing weary and nearing the point of taking a break in hopes that more time alone in the interrogation would rattle him.

He walked over to the door as she stood from the table, turned and gave him a dissatisfied expression. Just as Castle placed his hand on the door handle, the suspect spoke. "Just so you know," he said, "if I had the chance to fuck her and cut her again—I would."

Kate spun and stared at him and Castle reached out instinctually to grab her arm, though he wasn't sure if it was so much to hold her back or to keep himself from pummeling the sick bastard. Kate swallowed hard and looked back to him with a nod. He knew what that nod meant; it was his sign to exit, and, though he didn't want to, he obliged.

Castle moved to the observation room where he sat with Ryan, Esposito and Montgomery as the psychopath recounted to Kate every repugnant thing he did to the girl before and after her death. Castle could feel the bile rise in his throat with every new revelation and silently hoped that her parents would never have to hear the true horrors of the end of their daughter's life.

After the murderer had been sent to central booking, Castle sat in his usual chair beside Kate's desk. She sat at her seat, elbows on her desk, head in her hands staring down at her keyboard. She didn't have to say it; he already knew it was one of the hardest confessions she'd ever had to hear. "Anything you need…"

"I know," she said, not moving from her position.

"I mean anything. Food. Drink. Firing squad."

With a small smile she looked at him. "I have a lot of paperwork."

"I know."

"But I want to-"

"I can make you dinner," he offered softly.

She nodded, opened her bottom desk drawer and fished something from her purse. She handed him the object surreptitiously around the side of the desk. It wasn't until they reached his hand when Castle realized they were keys. "I'm not sure I have any food," she confessed.

With a smile he promised, "I'll handle it."


	6. Chapter 5

**FIVE**

Several hours later, Kate arrived home more drained than she ever thought she could be. She shuffled to her front door arguing internally with herself on whether or not she really needed food or if she just wanted to go directly to sleep. She rummaged in her purse for her keys and, upon coming up empty, immediately panicked. In her exhaustion, she'd forgotten that she'd already given them away. With great effort, she raised her hand and knocked on her own front door. It opened not a minute later.

Before he could say anything, Kate stepped inside and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her body into his. In just that one instant, she felt the majority of the stress melt from her shoulders.

Castle wrapped his arms around her back, dropped a kiss onto her head and rocked her gently back and forth. Only when she pulled back a few moments later did he smile and say, "Hey."

"Hey," she echoed. Turning towards her kitchen, she was met with several delicious aromas and immediately thanked herself for having the forethought to give her keys to Castle. If he was going to greet her with a warm meal every day when she arrived home, she might let him stay forever.

"I thought maybe tonight comfort food was best so I made chili, macaroni and cheese, and those little rolls I know you love," Castle said, taking her jacket and ushering her into the kitchen.

When Kate saw the display of food on her kitchen counter, her jaw dropped. She looked back at her companion and shook her head. "Castle you didn't…this is way too much food!"

"Then its lunch for tomorrow. C'mon dig in while its hot."

As Kate scooped up chili with fluffy rolls in unison with spoonfuls of creamy mac and cheese, she stared across the table at her dinner companion with a state of awe. Not only had he provided her with some of her favorite foods, but he wasn't pressing her about her day or the nightmarish case she just finished. Instead, he was allowing her to decompress in silence, which meant even more to her knowing that he was more of a "talk it out" type guy than she was.

When he noticed she'd eaten her final spoonful, he spoke for the first time. "Seconds?"

She groaned and rested both hands on her belly. "I couldn't eat another bite!"

"Then I've done my job," he assured her. Back in the kitchen, he began loading up Tupperware containers with the leftovers and wrapping the rolls in aluminum foil. Kate followed him and leaned against the refrigerator, taking in his domesticity.

"So I was thinking I'd just take a nice long hot bath and then go to bed."

He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her. "Sure. Let me just put this stuff away and I'll be out of your hair."

She smiled inwardly and glanced down at her feet, knowing that his response made her even more confident in her next suggestion. "Actually," she said, looking back to him. "I thought you might want to join me."

Castle turned and the foil packet of rolls he held dropped to the floor. He cursed, scooped it up and then quickly placed it back on the counter. "You—I—uh—what?"

He smile grew at his stammering. "You, me and my claw foot tub. You in or out?"

"In," he said immediately.

Without another word, she walked from the kitchen to the adjoining bathroom. She selected her favorite mix of bath salts, sprinkled a healthy serving in the bottom of the tub, and cranked the water on hot. When she turned around, she saw him in the doorway watching her. The fact that he looked more uncertain than she'd ever seen him made her smile.

On her way back to her bedroom, she brushed her hand across his chest and down his arm, but said nothing. When she reached her closet, she began shedding her clothing and dumping into the already over-stuffed hamper. Right, she needed to do laundry. Pushing that thought from her mind, she wrapped her now nude frame in her gray robe and returned to the bathroom.

Standing in front of the mirror, she twisted her hair into a bun and clipped it in place. Returning to the tub, she turned the water back to a more moderate temperature and swirled her hand through the bubbling water. After retrieving a washcloth from the linen closet, she stood by the tub and dropped her robe. When she looked back at the doorway, her partner was averting her eyes.

Resisting the urge to giggle she said, "It's okay, Castle; you can look."

Slowly, as though doing so might possibly result in a painful death, Castle raised his eye line and felt the breath immediately sucked from his chest. There she stood—Kate Beckett in all her glory. As she was side-on to him, he could see the silhouette of her breasts, her smooth stomach, the roundness of her buttocks, and, if he was not mistaken, a small tattoo at the crest of her hip.

Once Kate was fully submerged in the bath, she turned off the faucet and looked at him. "Problem, Castle?"

"Only that I'm afraid I'll wake up," he informed her as he loosened the belt buckle on his pants. Within a minute he'd shed his pants, shirt and undershirt and was approaching the tub when she reminded him, "Socks, Castle."

Once all his items of clothing were removed, he stepped in the bath behind her and sank down into the tub. It took him a moment to adjust his six-foot-one frame around her, but once he had, she settled back against his stomach and pulled the washcloth down into the water. He watched as she methodically ran it across each arm from wrist to shoulder and back and then moved to her legs.

After all four extremities had been addressed, Castle pulled the cloth from her grasp and laid it gently across the crevasse between her neck and shoulders, letting the moist heat melt away the remaining tension. She sighed and leaned more heavily against his chest, finding his left hand and lacing his fingers together with hers.

"Castle?"

"Hmm?"

"I've made an interesting discovery. Would you like to hear what it is?"

"Always," he replied, hoping her discovery did not in any way relate to Castle Junior, which he was trying to prevent from standing at attention with every active cell in his brain.

"Your touch has a strange calming effect on me. Every time I feel your skin against mine," she said as she ran her hand over his wrist and forearm, "I feel better about everything. Any theories as to why that might be?"

"Its my magical powers. Clearly," he responded.

"Have you always had these powers?"

"Yes," he said, switching the cloth to the other side of her neck, "as far as I'm aware."

"And do you use them on everyone?"

"No, just you," he promised. He dipped his right hand into the water and snuck it around her waist, moving it until his hand came to rest over her belly button. He froze there for a moment, weighing his options. He thought for a moment about testing her—seeing how much of her he could touch before she chastised him or worse, but then he considered the day she had and thought better of it. If she just wanted a bath, then a bath she would get.

Pulling the washcloth from her shoulder, Kate leaned forward and ran it across her upper back and then down over her chest and torso. When she pressed back into him with her hips, Castle groaned and attempted to move away, but with the narrow tub there was positively no room. "Uh, Kate, you're going to have to move forward a bit. You're kind of-"

"Oh!" She scooted forward so quickly that some water sloshed out over the edge of the tub. She looked back to him with an embarrassed expression. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that this tub might be a little small for us."

"Well, not if we're not going to-"

She tossed the washcloth at his face and it smacked him in the chin. He gave her a slightly annoyed expression. "All I'm saying is that my Jacuzzi is bigger. And it has bubbles."

In response, Kate scooped up a handful of the bubbles that were left and gave Castle a bubble goatee. Then, with a smile, she stood and stepped out of the tub, simultaneously grabbing her robe and passing him a towel.

Back in her bedroom, she pulled on an over-sized t-shirt and cotton shorts, her typical sleeping attire. When she turned back towards the hall, she saw him wearing his jeans, though they were not fastened, as he held his shirts in his hand. "Will you stay?" she asked. He nodded.

Without waiting for another response, Kate slid under she sheets of her bed and relaxed against the pillow. A moment later, she felt him join her. She pressed her back against his chest and snuggled in and found that perfect spot—the one she'd been searching for all her life. From the feel, it seemed he was wearing his undershirt and boxers, but nothing else.

"So," she began softly, "What kind of pajamas does Richard Castle usually wear?"

"Pure silk, naturally," he responded.

"Really?"

"No. Silk pajamas aren't that great. Even worse—silk pajamas on silk sheets. It's like trying to sleep on a slip and slide. Actually—and I know you're going to laugh at this—they're just ones my mother bought me."

"Your mother?"

"Yes. It's one of the things she does to try and ground me—like showing me terrible reviews for my book. She never buys me elaborate Christmas gifts. I always get socks, underwear and pjs—just like when I was a little."

Kate scrunched her nose. "Your mother buys your underwear?"

"T-shirts, not bottoms," he clarified.

She nodded, slightly relieved. After a moment she confessed, "My dad buys me pjs too."

"Really?" he asked with a soft chuckle.

"Mmhm. It started after my mom died. She used to get all the gifts and that first Christmas without her was hard enough, so he wasn't in real present mindset as it was. He got me pjs and since then its just become a tradition."

Castle smiled and gave her waist a light squeeze with his arm, glad she had shared that tidbit with him.

"Castle?"

"Hmm?"

She ran her fingers over his wrist and said, "Thank you for not talking about today's case."

He was silent for a moment before he added, "You know when you're ready to-"

"I know. Goodnight, Castle."

"Goodnight, Kate."


	7. Chapter 6

**SIX**

For one minute, everything seemed perfect. Kate was in a budding relationship that made her wake up with a smile every morning. Despite her initial fears and uncertainties, the first month of her relationship with Castle was going just as well as she hoped it would, but then, in the blink of an eye, her new, joyous world, covered over with dark clouds.

Her first partner, her training officer, Mike Royce had been found murdered in an alley, but interestingly she had not been the first to receive the call. Kate and Castle were sitting together in his apartment watching a movie when his cell rang. He saw it was Montgomery and, intrigued, he answered. Kate sensed his change in attitude immediately, especially after he did not answer her query about the nature of the call right away.

She was just about to use her interrogator skills on him, her cell rang and Montgomery was the caller. With a brick in her gut, she answered and discovered the identity of the Twelfth Precinct's latest victim. With the call over, she turned back to Castle with a blank expression and he said simply, "He wanted to make sure you weren't alone when you saw the body."

They went together to the scene for the first time since embarking on coupledom. Though they had often been together when she was called to scenes, they had been arriving separately to keep up appearances and diffuse any thoughts that they might be together. That evening, however, Kate simply didn't care.

After reviewing the scene and being forced to return home by Montgomery, Kate spent an hour crying in Castle's arms as he rubbed her back and promised that everything would be okay. She was not one to wallow, but she did allow herself that one hour to grieve before doing what she did best: seek justice.

The following morning, Kate went to the precinct with nothing but determination on her mind. She paused to give a moment of silence at the white board displaying Royce' photo under the word "Victim" and then went straight to Ryan and Esposito for an update. As they were filling her in on what they knew, Montgomery called her in to his office. By that point, Castle had arrived, so he joined her.

Montgomery's point was simple: she was far too close to the case to be objective. She needed to sit this one out. Naturally, she protested, but Montgomery's position was firm. She was not permitted to join in on this case.

"Kate, wait!" Castle said as he chased her down the hall after she stormed out of Montgomery's office.

"Leave me alone, Castle," she growled at him.

"Okay, I know you're pissed, so I'm going to forgive you for that. Kate," he said, grabbing her arm as she hurried away. She spun and glared at him. "I know you're upset and I know you're going to do something stupid so all I'm asking is that you don't do it without me."

Her harsh exterior cracked ever so slightly as she lowered her voice and said, "This isn't your fight, Castle."

"Your flight is my fight," he responded simply.

Two days later they were fully entrenched in an off-the-books investigation in the City of Angels. The case had, thus far, been an interesting one, leading them to cross paths with Gene Simmons and the LAPD, not to mention the discovery of a technologically advanced bulled that had Castle spouting as many wild theories as his brain could come up with.

Sitting in their suite in the evening after taking an afternoon detour to the Nikki Heat set (which only succeeded in adding a new, even more surreal element to that situation) Kate decided she needed a break from reviewing all the documents they'd acquired thus far. She spotted Royce's letter and plucked it from its position protruding from her bag. She flipped it over, unfolded it and stared at the final paragraph; the words had swirled in her mind ever since she'd first read them.

_The last thing you want is to look back at your life and wonder if only_

"You looking for clues in Royce's letter?" Castle asked as he sat down beside her and placed a new bottle of water in front of each of them.

"No, um, I just…" She let her voice drift off at the man sitting beside her. The one who she believed with all her heart would quite literally walk through fire for her. He followed her, protected her, gave her anything she needed—things she didn't even have to ask for. Suddenly, she had clarity on it all.

Without another word, she handed over the letter to him and gestured to the bottom paragraph. "I'm actually reading something about us."

Castle read through the paragraph she pointed out to him and the looked back to her, searching for clues as to what she was thinking.

"Royce knew me—the old me. The one that hid my true self away, locked it inside to protect it. But that's not the person I want to be—not anymore." She took the letter from his hands and it put in the table in front of him. Then she scooted closer to him, placing one knee on one side of his legs and the other on the opposite. Sitting in his lap facing him, she gave him a quick kiss and rested her hands atop his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Castle."

"For what?"

She smiled gently and looked down towards her lap. "For…for being resistant to take our relationship to the next level—physically," she added, turning her eyes back to his. He nodded. "I guess I thought by not sleeping with you I was keeping one foot out the door to prevent myself from being hurt—just like I always do. But the truth is that even now both my feet are firmly planted inside." With that, she kissed him and felt his hands skim across her back and come to rest on her hips.

Castle momentary pulled back and asked, "And the door is shut?"

"Yes." She kissed him again, but he pulled back.

"And locked?"

"Castle!"

"I'm just trying to see where we stand!" he insisted.

"Together," she told him, "on the same side of a locked door—now take me to bed."

Though Kate wished to stay in bed beside Castle for several more days, her need for justice drove her into the shower the next morning. Of course, that trip had a small detour when he joined her, but they were soon back on the streets searching for their man.

Finally, with a little assistance from the LAPD, Kate was able to collar him after, quite literally, chasing him off a bridge. Castle made sure she was okay as the police hauled the suspect away, but spoke no more about it until they were back in their suite and he was sitting on the bed watching her fold her clothes and place them neatly into her carry-on.

"How close did you come, Kate?" he asked. She looked at him. "Under that bridge?"

She zipped her back and looked at him. "Not as close as I would have if it had been you in that alley." She turned away, intent on double checking the bathroom for any forgotten belongings when an imaged flashed through her mind and caught her off guard. Castle, dead behind a dumpster like Royce—bullet through his head, all light and life gone from his eyes. Like a blow to the gut, it caused her to stumble and simultaneously wrap one hand around her stomach and cover her face with the other.

Castle, seeing her reaction, stood immediately and walked to her. "Kate. Hey, Kate—it's okay. I'm not going anywhere," he promised, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "I will be here to annoy you for many years to come, I promise."

Despite her tears, she couldn't help but chuckle as she turned in his embrace. "You know you don't have to annoy me, right?"

"Yes, but let's be honest—even if I tried not to, I still would, right?" he asked. She cracked a small smile and he kissed her damp cheek. He was entirely right and, she decided, she wouldn't have it any other way.


	8. Chapter 7

**SEVEN**

When Kate Beckett awoke that Saturday morning she sighed blissfully and snuggled back against her pillow. Technically, it was the second time she'd awoken that morning. She and her bed companion had awoken around seven and decided they would spent the whole day in bed sleeping and doing the other activities that implied. After a week of stressful cases plus a court appearance, it was just what the doctor ordered.

Kate glanced at the clock beside her and noticed it was just after ten a.m. Rolling onto her back and stretching, she yawned and then looked towards the other side of the bed. Surprisingly, it was empty. She sat up, and looked around, curious as to where he had gone. The bathroom door was open, so he was not in there. After a minute she heard the subtle clicking of computer keys from the other room. Tossing back the bedcovers, she walked to the office to investigate.

She found Castle seated at his desk wearing his robe, his hair still mashed every which way from sleeping. He was typing away at his computer, completely oblivious to the fact that she was staring at him from the doorway. She smiled to herself and bit down on her thumbnail. He was just so adorable when he was focusing that intently!

"I thought we were going to spend the day in bed," she said gently, taking a step towards him.

He looked up and then back down at the computer monitor. "We are but I just had this really good Nikki Heat idea that I had to get down before I forgot."

Kate took two more steps. "Yeah? Is it a sexy idea?"

"No, actually its-" Castle cut off his own speech, pulled his hands from the keys and looked up to her. "Why?"

Her pace becoming more cat-like, Kate said, "Oh I was just thinking about some ideas myself."

His voice deepened. "Really?"

"Uh huh." She reached the edge of his chair and skimmed one hand up his arm until she reached his shoulders with both her hands. She then skimmed them down over his chest beneath his robe.

"Would you like to tell me about them?"

"Mm," she purred in his ear. "I think I'd rather show you." She moved her lips down to his neck and kissed the area below his jaw as her hands skimmed down his torso and slipped beneath the waistband of his boxers. He let out a light gasp as she wrapped her hand around his hardening length and she chuckled against his throat.

Kate pulled his chair out a few inches from the desk and sank down to the rug, positioning herself in front of him. She peeled the front of his boxers down enough for his erection to pop free and, with a devilish smile she looked up at him. Holding his eye line to the last second, she moved her head forward and wrapped his lips around him, smiling proudly the moment he uttered his first, "Ohh Kate!"

Descending the stairs for the first time that morning, Martha bypassed the kitchen and went directly to the front door. She was on her way to meet a friend for brunch and was running late. Normally, she blamed the artist in her for being less than punctual, but she was almost a little too late even for that. Much to her surprised, when she opened the front door she found it blocked by two figures. Slightly startled, she jumped back and yelped, "Oh! Boys…good Morning."

"Morning," Ryan smiled at her.

"Are you looking for Richard?"

"Yeah, can he come out and play?" Ryan jested as they usually did towards their adult friend who still lived with his mother.

"We're going to watch a game," Esposito clarified.

"Oh well I'm off but I believe I heard him in the office. Go ahead in."

Ryan and Esposito thanked her and shut the door once she'd gone. They walked together, Esposito in front of Ryan, on their way to the office. When they came within view of the office door, they saw him sitting at his desk chair, staring up at the ceiling. Thinking he was merely daydreaming, Esposito approached, but before he could say anything, Castle let out a moan.

"Oh my god, yes oh yeah right—SHIT!" he proclaimed upon lowering his chin enough to see they were not alone in the room.

While Esposito stifled a laugh, Ryan, who had not seen what was going on, stepped in to the room and upon seeing his friend's shocked and pale expression questioned, "Castle?"

"Guys—Ryan! Esposito!" Castle squeaked as his blood pressure rocked up several hundred points. "What are you—what are you doing here?"

"Did you forget about the fact that we were going to AC today?" Ryan asked.

"Atlantic City!" Castle gasped. "Right. For the game. Oh. Is that today?"

Esposito snorted with laughter. "Dude is…is there a girl under your desk?"

Castle looked widely around the room as though looking for an escape passageway that would magically appear in his moment of need. "Uhhh. Girl? I don't know…"

Ryan and Esposito exchanged glances and took two steps towards the desk. "You realize we could just-"

Castle yelped, "NO DON'T!" only a moment before his partner in crime crawled out from her hidden spot and stood with an alarming amount of dignity for someone just caught in her position.

Ryan and Esposito's jaws dropped.

"OH. MY. GOD." Ryan concluded.

Once his momentary shock wore off, Esposito smirked. "Detective Beckett…funny seeing you here. I guess when Castle uses you for research he really…oh," he abruptly cut off his joke when the fiery look of dangerous Detective Beckett began to form in her eyes.

Esposito took a step back and Ryan grabbed his arm. "Yeah she's got that look bro."

With her coworkers momentarily paralyzed with fear, Kate turned on her romantic partner. She folded her arms over her chest and stared back at him as he rolled his chair backwards obviously searching for escape. "Castle!" she snapped at him.

"Wha—I—what?" he stammered. "How is this my fault!?"

"Why are they here?! I thought you said we were going to spend the day in—together." She corrected her comment quickly after remembering the company in the room.

Still unable to stand due to his delicate position, Castle leaned forward and clasped his hands together as he attempted to explain the events that had transpired. "Yes, well, see we made plans to go to AC for the day and watch the game together there at a sports bar but I thought that was _next_ Saturday which is why I didn't remember and I-" Seeing the level of fury escalating on her face, he decided to change directions entirely. "You-you're so pretty this morning, have I told you that?"

As he reached out to touch her arm and she snatched it away, Ryan and Esposito snorted with laughter. Kate turned on them and they took another step back at her glare. "Why are you still here?" she demanded of them.

"Because this is better than a game," Esposito answered. Then, when Kate took a step towards them, they backed out of the room. "But uh, uh we can wait out there." With them gone, she turned back to Castle who was using the fact that they were alone to pull his boxers on properly once more. "Castle!"

"I am so sorry!" he insisted, standing and placing his hands on her arms.

"Oh yes, I imagine that you will be." Pulling herself from his grasp, she stomped back into the bedroom. He followed her.

"Where are you going?"

Whipping her jeans off the chair beside the bed she held them out in front of her to step into. "Home. You're going to the game aren't you?

"Well…" He glanced back in the direction of Ryan and Esposito. "I don't have to…"

"You might as well," she snapped. "It's the only action you're going to see for a while."

Fifteen minutes later, after Kate had stormed out past her still snickering coworkers, Castle joined the boys in the main sitting area. "So," Esposito began, "on a scale of one to ten, how mad is she?"

Castle squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "A hundred and fifty."

Ryan winced. "And how long have you two been…"

"About three months."

"This the first big fight you've had?"

"Yep."

Esposito clapped him on the back. "Don't worry, bro, we'll get you nice and drunk in AC."

Castle shook his head as they made their way out the door. "I don't know if I'll be able to wait until then."


	9. Chapter 8

_A/N: I wanted to finish this story before the mini-hiatus is over tomorrow, so here's the final chapter._

* * *

**EIGHT**

It took Castle ten days to get Kate to forgive him for their little caught-in-the-act incident with Ryan and Esposito. Ten days of apologies, flowers, and a new pair of earrings. He felt ten days was a bit long given the fact that the situation began from forgetting plans and not something he'd actually done wrong. Then again, it did not help that Ryan and Esposito were continually making jokes about oral sex and the benefits of partnerships around her. As each joke only succeeded in making her angrier, Castle ultimately had to bribe their silence with a weekend each with his Ferrari.

A month later, they were finally sailing through crystal blue waters once more. Castle even thought to himself that they made it through their first major fight relatively unscathed and that was a great sign. In hindsight, he realized such a thought was merely a jinx, because their first real test was yet to come.

In mid-July, not quite a half year since their relationship began, an article appeared in the gossip section of a New York paper saying that the two of them had been spotted together at a party looking quote "very cozy." This was not the first speculation of their relationship being more than just partners, but it was the first time such speculation had been accurate.

The party in question was an event sponsored by Black Pawn that Castle had talked Kate in to attending with him. She was hesitant at first because despite both of their families, Ryan, Esposito, and Lanie knowing about their relationship, Kate was still determined to keep it as secret as they could, particularly from anyone higher up in the NYPD. Castle countered her argument by saying that everyone at Black Pawn was well aware that she was his muse and partner, assuming they did no inappropriate touching at the party, their mutual presence would not raise suspicion.

In the end, Castle won the argument and for the most part they behaved professionally. They had, however, left the party holding hands and evidently their picture had been taken as it accompanied the article. Kate was naturally livid when she saw the piece, but the picture was grainy and from a distance and it was not clear that I was Kate he held hands with. Besides, Castle insisted, the story would go away as quick as it had arrived.

Unfortunately for him, that was an incorrect assumption. In fact, in the next few days, the story grew even more and began displaying quotes from partygoers who concluded that they were "clearly in love" and "very romantic" with each other. Soon, reporters were following them to crime scenes, snapping their pictures and trying to question them as they worked.

Castle knew it was only a matter of time before Kate snapped, but there was nothing he could do except ignore it knowing that it would eventually go away. Oppositely, Kate, who never had a need to accustom herself to public attention, found it nearly impossible to ignore. Each encounter only fueled her displeasure.

The situation came to a head a week and a half after the initial article when a picture of the two of them walking from a crime scene appeared on a tabloid website and someone sent the link to everyone at the twelfth precinct. Castle sat beside Kate when she received the email and watched as her face went ashen. She pushed herself away from her desk and disappeared into the break room. After exchanging grimaces with Ryan and Esposito, Castle followed her.

He found her leaning against the counter by the coffee maker, chewing on her lip and staring distantly out into the room. "Kate, I'm sorry," he began immediately. She looked over to him. "Truly I am. I am so sorry. Please, tell me what I can do. I can email the whole precinct and tell them the article is a lie."

"But that would be a lie," she countered.

"Technically, yes, but I know you're upset so I'll do anything. Please, tell me what I can do."

She sighed and pushed herself away from the counter, walking a few feet away. "I'm not mad about the article, Castle. I mean, I am, but not at you; it's not your fault. It's just…this is what I was afraid of. This is it—my worst fears are playing out."

He looked at her, unsure of where she was going, and decided it was best to just let her get it all out.

She continued to pace a three foot square area between the counter and one of the tables in the room as she spoke. "It's just my head is screaming for me to run—get out before this all blows up in your face. Because, really, did you expect this to work? You're from two different worlds."

"Two worlds?" he asked, finally jumping in.

She stopped pacing and looked at him. "Yes, Castle, two worlds. You—you're this big celebrity person with your name in the papers and I'm just this cop. This is a situation that just doesn't make sense on paper because you will always have a public life and I don't want that, so part of me can't help but wonder if we'd be better off just ending this but…" She shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself, looking to him for the first time with vulnerability instead of frustration. "But then I think about when I fall asleep in your arms at night and it just…it feels like home."

Castle felt his chest squeeze from the look of love on her face. "Kate," he sighed, stepping forward and cupping her jaw with his hand. Without even thinking, he lowered his lips to hers and pulled her in for a gentle kiss.

Not one second later, the break room door opened and they jumped apart. Kate looked over to see Captain Montgomery standing in the doorway gazing at them; her heart sank all the way down to her boots. She lowered her eyes for a moment but then looked back to him and stood up a little straighter. "Sir, I—we were just-"

"Oh, you're going to try and explain your way out of this? I _cannot_ wait to hear it. Please, continue Detective," Montgomery said, clasping his hands in front of him. Neither of the two guilty companions spoke, they merely avoided his gaze. "That's what I thought." With that, he turned and left.

"Oh my god," Castle sighed when he was gone, running his hands over his face. "This is my fault! I'm so-"

"It's not your fault," Kate said, placing her hand on his arm.

"But I-"

"It takes two to tango, Castle," she said with a wry smile. "Besides, it was kind of inevitable that he found out. I guess now we just have to see what happens."

"You think he won't let us work together anymore?" Castle asked sadly.

Kate shrugged her shoulders. "I really don't know."

When she and Castle returned to her desk, they appeared noticeably paler. So noticeably, in fact, that Ryan asked, "What happened to you two?"

"Montgomery caught us kissing in the break room," Castle told him quietly.

Ryan and Esposito immediately grimaced. "That's not good. Do you think-"

"Detective Beckett?" The captain's voice interrupted as he passed them. "A word in my office."

Ryan and Esposito turned back to their computer screens and avoided the Captain's gaze as he spoke. Kate stood and took a deep breath. Castle stood as well, but she held out her hand to stop him from following her. She knew it would make her feel worse about being scolded if Castle was also in the room. Using what little confidence remaining within her at that point, she strode to the captain's office and shut the door behind her. "Sir, if you just let me-"

"Ah." Montgomery silenced her by holding up his hand. "Sit detective. Do you know why I've let Castle shadow you all this time?"

"Because of the mayor?" she offered once she sat.

Montgomery leaned back in his chair and chuckle. "No. How many years have I known you Kate? Ever since you've been on the force, right?" She nodded and he continued. "And this is the first time I've ever seen you happy."

Kate raised her eyebrows in surprise, but did not speak as he continued.

"You two were like matchsticks and dynamite when you first started and I thought oooh boy this is going to be interesting, because in all my years on the force, I'd seen many interesting partnerships, but ones like that only end one of two ways: those two people either came to blows or they form an inseparable bond. And, Kate, I'm so glad it was the second one…mostly because I was afraid of how much paperwork there'd be if you shot Castle."

Kate let out a blip of laughter. "Don't take that possibility of the table yet, Sir."

Montgomery smiled and walked around to the other side of his desk. Leaning back against it, he told her, "Don't let him go, Kate. Not if he's the one that made you this happy. I've been waiting a long time to see that kind of smile on your face and I'd be sad to see it go."

Kate took a moment to process his words. She glanced out through the windows of Montgomery's office and spotted Castle looking her way with his brow wrinkled together. Looking back to the captain she asked, "So…you're not going to kick Castle out, Sir?"

"Not unless he gives me a good reason to." Montgomery walked back to his chair but paused before sitting down. "Oh and Detective—you might want to keep the kissing to a minimum. At least, inside this office."

Kate felt her cheeks flush as she said, "Yes, Sir."

Back out in the main office, Kate was met with the anxious faces of the other three-quarters of her team. "So?" Castle asked anxiously.

She hesitated a moment before answering. Not wanting to reveal the true reason, she decided to say, "We came to an agreement."

Castle considered this for a moment before asking quietly, "Does this mean I can stay?"

"Yes," she said with a slight laugh. "You can stay."

"Sweet!" he proclaimed, giving Ryan a high-five.

"But, uh," she added quieter. "We should talk about some things."

His gleeful expression disappeared almost immediate. "Bad things?"

She shook her head. "No, not bad. Tonight? At my place?"

"Sure."

"I brought you a present," Castle announced when he arrived at Kate's later that evening.

She groaned. "Castle, I really do not need another pair of earrings."

"Oh how highly you think of yourself Detective Beckett." Castle informed her in a high-and-mighty tone. "You're expecting jewelry and all I have is a fudge brownie."

Her eyes lit up as she snatched the plastic takeout container from his hands. "I like this better!" She broke off a large hunk of the brownie and popped it in her mouth with a dramatic "mmm" sound. Then, turning the container to him, she mumbled, "Want some?"

"No that one's yours…I already ate mine."

Laughing to herself, she broke off another piece of brownie and went to the refrigerator to grab a water bottle.

"So what did we need to talk about? Is it more about the tabloids because-"

"No," she told him. "It's just about us. About what Montgomery said. Do you know why he said you could stay?" she asked rhetorically. "Because you make me happy."

Castle walked over to that he stood beside her against the kitchen island. "Really?"

She nodded her head. "He said he never saw me this happy before and it's true; I haven't been. I didn't know I could be this happy and I… I really just…" she shook her head and lowered her chin as she felt her ears growing hot. Why did saying the words sound so silly? She felt them in her heart—her soul—but saying them was something different.

For what felt like the hundredth time, he read her mind. "I love you, too."

She looked up to him, a smile blossoming on her face. "Really? I mean—I love you! I love you, Rick. I was just-"

He cut her off with his lips against hers. Pulling back, he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "I know. And just so you know, you make me incredibly happy too."

Standing on her toes, she kissed him quickly and then wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly, knowing she'd never have to let go because he was her partner—in everything.

-Fin-

* * *

_A/N: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing everyone! I really appreciate it._

_Just yesterday I finished my next fic. It was from a prompt on Tumblr called "The Fugitive," where a wrongly-accused Richard Castle goes on the run and tires to prove his innocence; Kate Beckett is the Fed trying to track him down. It's quite long, so I won't start posting it until hiatus, so you can look for that in mid to late May. Until then, enjoy the last 4 episodes of Season 6! :)_


End file.
